Was Bobby Cremins Camp The Best in the State?

[beav910]

According to Charlotte Hornets player Kenny Gattison, Bobby Cremins had the best basketball camp in North Carolina at Appalachian State during his tenure. If you’re interested in hearing this tidbit tune in around the 32 minute mark. I’m sure you old heads already knew this but I thought it was an interesting piece of info about our basketball programs history.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/buz ... 0428744171

[scatman77]

According to Charlotte Hornets player Kenny Gattison, Bobby Cremins had the best basketball camp in North Carolina at Appalachian State during his tenure. If you’re interested in hearing this tidbit tune in around the 32 minute mark. I’m sure you old heads already knew this but I thought it was an interesting piece of info about our basketball programs history.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/buz ... 0428744171

As a student athletic trainer at App back then, I agreed to work his camp (it was only 1 week). I did it for a small stipend and lots of exposure to good well-known players and also to hopefully meet coaches who needed an athletic trainer once I graduated. As for his camp, I'd have agree that it was probably the best in NC. It cost $150 for the week. Campers got 2 hours of instruction each morning and played 3-4 games a day. Some of the staff were Gene Littles, Kevin Cantwell, Gerry Vaillancourt, George Felton, Wayne Flowers, Frank Johnson (Wake Forest), Tom Owens (BC team mate at USC), Russ Bergman, Bill Burroughs, George Glymph, and a lot of really good players who probably never received as much press as ACC and SEC counterparts. Some of the campers who came through were Brad Daugherty and some skinny kid from Wilmington no one had ever heard of...Jordan was his name.

Campers were treated to a few high-profile names (mostly favors for Bobby) and a lot of high-intensity coaching. The camp was not a high cost "come see the stars" camp; they were really coached and taught and played against good competition. It was one week in the summer that I really looked forward to; I worked the camp every year he had it.

[goapps93]

I attended as a Jr. High camper a couple of years. My dad was a HS coach and worked the camp. Brad Daugherty was there when I was, man he was tall. I had a blast but my playing days ended after Jr. High.

[goapps93]

Also got to see Sean "Shorty" Miller put on a shooting/ballhandling exhibition.

[scatman77]

I attended as a Jr. High camper a couple of years. My dad was a HS coach and worked the camp. Brad Daugherty was there when I was, man he was tall. I had a blast but my playing days ended after Jr. High.

Who was your dad? I probably remember him. That week that Brad was there was probably the one year with the best high school talent. Brad, Jordan, and a bunch of really good big men. The afternoon and evening games were epic. If I recall correctly there was a good game between them and a staff team as well.

[scatman77]

Also got to see Sean "Shorty" Miller put on a shooting/ballhandling exhibition.

Do you remember the ball-handling/skills exhibition by Carl Clayton? He played at ASU before Bobby came along; Coach Maravich was coach.

[canes_mj]

Basketball camp at Appalachian, great memories. Cremins Was before my time, but I went several years when Tom Apke was there. I was able to attend the camp at duke and Carolina as well, and I always liked Appalachian's the best, because it was smaller and you got more individual attention. Great trip down memory lane

[asu66]

Basketball camp at Appalachian, great memories. Cremins Was before my time, but I went several years when Tom Apke was there. I was able to attend the camp at duke and Carolina as well, and I always liked Appalachian's the best, because it was smaller and you got more individual attention. Great trip down memory lane

Some guy named Robert B. Peterson, II was Apke's "camp director" for two or three years at the time my son was coming along. It was an outstanding camp. My son also went to the UNC, Duke and UT-K camps and had a strong preference for Apke's camp because of the individual instruction.

Apke went on to become a top sales-producing realtor in Charlotte and is still a fine ambassador for Appalachian (even after all he endured after Jim Garner departed for OK State). The Peterson guy's still slummin' it in south Charlotte and accepting hand-me-down shoes from some deep-pockets college roomie.

[scatman77]

Basketball camp at Appalachian, great memories. Cremins Was before my time, but I went several years when Tom Apke was there. I was able to attend the camp at duke and Carolina as well, and I always liked Appalachian's the best, because it was smaller and you got more individual attention. Great trip down memory lane

Some guy named Robert B. Peterson, II was Apke's "camp director" for two or three years at the time my son was coming along. It was an outstanding camp. My son also went to the UNC, Duke and UT-K camps and had a strong preference for Apke's camp because of the individual instruction.

Apke went on to become a top sales-producing realtor in Charlotte and is still a fine ambassador for Appalachian (even after all he endured after Jim Garner departed for OK State). The Peterson guy's still slummin' it in south Charlotte and accepting hand-me-down shoes from some deep-pockets college roomie.

You crack me up!! AT story from Bobby's first camp: Geno's little boy was hanging around and had watched me tape few ankles. About mid-week he came up to me and "needed his ankle taped." I gave him the proper eval and made him feel like one of the boys, then taped his small ankle with 1" tape (1.5" was the norm for adults). He walked around all day with his shoe and sock off, admiring his taped ankle. Would not put them on, so everyone could see it!

[RomingerRA]

I do not know that much about Bobby’s camp but the late Bob Light had a excellent camp at Crossnore School for Children in the late sixties. Great emphasis on the fundamentals during the day and games at night. Those were the good ole days.

[Cro-Magnon App]

I worked the camp during the Cremins, Cantwell and early Apke years. It was a great teaching camp. We will not speak of after-hours activities.

[Cro-Magnon App]

When Apke first came to Appalachian, Ralph Patterson ran the camps. The camp at Campbell was pretty good, too. One of the worst was at Davidson.

[scatman77]

I worked the camp during the Cremins, Cantwell and early Apke years. It was a great teaching camp. We will not speak of after-hours activities.

Yes, that is a wise decision!

[Cro-Magnon App]

The kid I remember the most of all the years at the camp was Danny Pearson. I believe he was out of Eau Claire High School in Columbia and coached in high school by the legendary George Glymph, one of the great coaches of that time. Pearson would speak to kids about breaking in line in the cafeteria, would teach the younger kids after hours, was a great leader. And he could play. I also remember a coach from Charlotte that brought most of his team and while the coach was out all night carousing his team pulled a fire extinguisher in the dorm. Cremins sent the whole damn team home to Charlotte on the morning bus.

[scatman77]

The kid I remember the most of all the years at the camp was Danny Pearson. I believe he was out of Eau Claire High School in Columbia and coached in high school by the legendary George Glymph, one of the great coaches of that time. Pearson would speak to kids about breaking in line in the cafeteria, would teach the younger kids after hours, was a great leader. And he could play. I also remember a coach from Charlotte that brought most of his team and while the coach was out all night carousing his team pulled a fire extinguisher in the dorm. Cremins sent the whole damn team home to Charlotte on the morning bus.

Danny was a great player and the first signee by Bobby at Tech. He was a s of a role model as you described. George instilled quality values and attitudes in his players, too. He told me he'd open his gym in the summer and if a kid showed up with baggy pants, sloppy shirt, 2-3 pairs of ugly socks and shoes untied he'd refuse them entry. He'd tell them to go home and come back dressed like a basketball player.

The team from Charlotte (if I recall correctly) was Garringer and the coach was Bruce Kreutzer (sp?) and yes Bobby did send them home. In matters regarding campers' behavior he tolerated no crap.

[AppSC]

Looks like Ad-Rock of Beastie Boys may have attended basketball camp at App in 1980, since he's wearing a t-shirt in the video for "No Sleep Til Brooklyn"

[asu66]

When Apke first came to Appalachian, Ralph Patterson ran the camps. The camp at Campbell was pretty good, too. One of the worst was at Davidson.

Speaking of Ralph Patterson, I jokingly referred to "Brooks Brothers" in reference to Furman football coaches a couple of days ago. Then Ralph's name comes around after all of these years. He's a great guy and has built a fine career for himself down in SC private school higher ed. But the evidence speaks for itself about Brooks Brothers. Here's Ralph today looking much like he did at App in 1980-something...

https://www.newberry.edu/faculty/detail ... rson-ralph

[beav910]

Looks like Ad-Rock of Beastie Boys may have attended basketball camp at App in 1980, since he's wearing a t-shirt in the video for "No Sleep Til Brooklyn"

That is freakin awesome.

[app97]

Looks like Ad-Rock of Beastie Boys may have attended basketball camp at App in 1980, since he's wearing a t-shirt in the video for "No Sleep Til Brooklyn"

yep, I remember Kevin Balling (App video production instructor from early 80's until 5 or 6 years ago) saying that he met one or more of the Beasties at App's basketball camp. Kevin was also originally from NY, I believe.

[Cro-Magnon App]

Kind of odd that little 'ol Erskine College in little 'ol Due West, SC would have two head coaches in their basketball history that coached at Appalachian State.